On the dunes, Bai Shi drew the Moonveil.
Recalling the technique the 'Old Man' had just used, Bai Shi gripped the blade between the joints of his fingers.
He applied force with his right hand on the hilt, creating tension against his left hand.
When Bai Shi's left hand suddenly released the blade, the Moonveil shot forward with incredible speed.
However, why did the blade's reach change?
Bai Shi had been too far away at the time to see the motion clearly. He only remembered that the final position of the 'Old Man's' right hand had shifted.
He tried again, but this time the Moonveil flew right out of his grip.
After retrieving the blade, Bai Shi committed the move to memory, planning to study it in detail later.
—
Bai Shi returned to Jerren's side.By then, Jerren had managed to get to his feet with the help of the Crucible Knight, leaning on his greatsword.
Seeing Bai Shi, Jerren quickly expressed his thanks.
Only when he saw Bai Shi and the Crucible Knight approach had he realized that Bai Shi had made preparations in advance.
If Bai Shi hadn't been there at the end, he would have likely lost his life.
“*Cough*— I’m getting old.”
“I was so close to death.”
After catching his breath, he continued.
“Thank you for that. Otherwise, I would have died here.”
Bai Shi waved his hand dismissively.
Jerren was a good man, and Bai Shi didn't want him to die like this.
“It's nothing. Didn't you tell me you still have much to do?”
“In that case, this is not the place for you to fall.”
Jerren let out a long sigh.
Bai Shi was right. He had no desire to die in a battle like this either.
He was no longer at an age where he would fight to the death over a provocation.
If it weren't for the honor of the Redmanes, Jerren wouldn't have even accepted the challenge.
That was why he had made thorough preparations, even bringing out a repeating crossbow he hadn't used in years. Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough.
But though he was in a sorry state, at least he had survived.
He could continue with his unfinished business.
Cleansing the Scarlet Rot, uncovering the truth of the Battle of Aeonia... There was just so much to do.
“In any case, thank you.”
“I'll be returning to Redmane Castle to recuperate for a while. You're free to move about the castle as you please.”
“If you need anything, just ask the soldiers. They all remember you.”
Bai Shi nodded in agreement and returned with them to Redmane Castle.
Back at Redmane Castle, Bai Shi thought for a moment and realized there was nothing pressing for him to do in the castle.
Hilbert was currently studying the dramatically changed Scarlet Rot.
The research was still in its first stage, which was to determine if the Scarlet Rot was still toxic.
Only after confirming it was harmless could Bai Shi proceed with the subsequent cleanup.
Once the toxicity tests were complete, the next phase would involve experimenting on creatures infected with the Scarlet Rot.
If the rot that had fused with their muscles and organs also transformed into plant matter, then sunlight wouldn't be able to save them.
After all, if the Scarlet Rot inside them turned into plants, the creatures themselves likely wouldn't survive.
The power of the sun had some effect on the Scarlet Rot, which was undoubtedly good news.
But Bai Shi didn't believe the sun's power was omnipotent.
It was unrealistic to think that sunlight alone could easily solve all the problems brought by the Scarlet Rot.
Even the sun could only affect the Scarlet Rot by pushing it to a state of 'Abundance', a point of saturation, rather than changing it directly.
Achieving the Scarlet Rot's 'Abundance' was extremely difficult.
It was likely something that had never been accomplished, even in the era of the previous Order.
Otherwise, the swordsman of the flowing water wouldn't have had to seal the Scarlet Rot.
Bai Shi thought for a moment and decided to rest for the night.
Tomorrow, he would head to the location he had previously arranged with Commander O'Neil.
He had asked Commander O'Neil to find Millicent, and after so much time, there should be some results.
—
The next day, Bai Shi mounted Torrent and urged him toward the predetermined location.
After crossing nearly half of the Swamp of Aeonia, Bai Shi arrived at a mesa formed by accumulated Scarlet Rot.
This place was very similar to where Commander O'Neil had been before, but it was a different location.
Commander O'Neil's former camp had been discovered by Millicent's four other sisters.
Without Bai Shi's presence, Commander O'Neil alone could not have defeated the four sisters.
So, for safety's sake, they had decided on this location at the time.
Upon reaching the mesa, Bai Shi immediately saw spectral soldiers of the storm standing guard.
Seeing them, Bai Shi knew that Millicent must have been found.
Otherwise, these soldiers would still be out searching.
However, Bai Shi saw neither Millicent nor Commander O'Neil on the mesa.
It wasn't until a spectral soldier approached and told Bai Shi that they had moved their camp again.
Bai Shi was a little confused, wondering what had happened here.
Had they been found by the Kindred of Rot?
Guided by the spectral soldier, Bai Shi arrived at a cave in Caelid.
The cave was small but relatively clean, with no pools of poison or Scarlet Rot.
Soon, he saw Commander O'Neil inside.
Seeing Bai Shi arrive, O'Neil rushed to greet him.
His voice was filled with excitement, a clear sign that something had happened.
“You're finally here.”
“We've found the girl, but her condition is not optimistic.”
Bai Shi frowned.
“What happened?”
As he led Bai Shi into the cave, O'Neil recounted the events of the past few days:
“Ever since you told me of the girl's existence, I have been searching for her in the Swamp of Aeonia.”
“Finally, about four days ago, I found her by some ruins in the swamp. Her name is Millicent.”
“At the time, she had a high fever and was delirious, on the verge of collapsing. She was holding on by sheer force of will.”
“I later learned that she had been trying to find a way out of the Swamp of Aeonia.”
“But the area where she first tried to escape was surrounded by cliffs. Missing an arm, she couldn't possibly climb them.”
O'Neil sighed.
“I had my soldiers bring her to our designated meeting point.”
“Later, I had them fetch some food and clean water.”
“After a period of rest, Millicent's condition improved slightly from how she was initially.”
At this point, things seemed to be taking a turn for the better, but reality was not so smooth.
O'Neil paused.
“The Scarlet Rot in the Swamp of Aeonia is simply too potent.”
“As long as she remained there, the Scarlet Rot in her body would continue to corrode her.”
“Even if I had removed the needle and given it to her, she likely wouldn't have been able to escape the swamp alone. So I brought her out here to wait for you.”
“You said to wait until you arrived before transferring the needle to her.”
Bai Shi nodded. That was indeed what he had arranged with Commander O'Neil.
“How is she now? Let me see her.”
O'Neil shook his head.
“She's a little better than before.”
“But she's still unconscious most of the time.”
“Occasionally, she's startled awake by the pain of the Scarlet Rot, or by some terrible nightmare.”
—
Following O'Neil's lead, Bai Shi reached the deepest part of the cave.
Before he even entered, Bai Shi could hear painful whimpers.
Inside the cavern, a small stream of clean groundwater trickled from the rock wall.
Millicent was leaning against a rock, her short red hair falling over her shoulders.
Due to the pain, she was drenched in a cold sweat. Strands of hair were stuck to her face, and her clothes were soaked through.
The pained whimpers had come from her.
At this moment, the Scarlet Rot was squirming within her, trying to consume and assimilate her, to transform her into something inhuman.
Seeing a stranger she had never met before, a trace of panic flickered in Millicent's eyes.
But when she saw O'Neil behind Bai Shi, she calmed down slightly.
Millicent now trusted O'Neil completely.
From the first moment she saw the old man, she had felt an incredible sense of affinity.
Her subconscious told her that this person was completely trustworthy.
Later, O'Neil told her that she had some kind of kinship with Malenia.
Though it was unbelievable, Millicent found that she had accepted this news with ease.
This, along with various other factors, convinced Millicent that she was indeed connected to Malenia.
And O'Neil was a high-ranking commander of the Haligtree, a completely dependable person.
In that case, the person he brought with him would not harm her either.
Millicent looked at Bai Shi, who had just walked in, and asked:
“Who... who are you?”
Before the words left her mouth, Millicent clutched her severed arm in pain and let out a wail.
After a moment, panting heavily, Millicent finally calmed down. “Hah, hah... Who are you?”
“...Whoever you are, you'd best not come near me.”
“The Scarlet Rot is writhing inside me. It's not a curse that an ordinary person can touch.”
Bai Shi paid no mind to Millicent's warning; he was now largely unafraid of the Scarlet Rot.
Bai Shi walked up to Millicent.
“My name is Bai Shi. I'm here to save you.”
Millicent shook her head. The rot was an extremely severe affliction; it was hard to imagine it could be cured.
But before she could warn Bai Shi again, a piercing pain shot through her.
Bai Shi carefully observed Millicent's condition.
The sleeve of her missing right arm hung limply at her side, continuously seeping blood.
Mixed with the blood was the Scarlet Rot.
It seemed the Scarlet Rot was the reason the wound could not heal.
And it was likely that the rot had entered through the wound on her severed arm.
However, Millicent's condition had not yet reached its worst.
Bai Shi looked at O'Neil.
“Let's go. Take Millicent, and we'll go to Redmane Castle. I have a perfumer companion there.”
“Once we get there, both you and she should be able to survive.”
O'Neil shook his head.
“Though I don't know why Lady Malenia had to use the power of the rot during the Battle of Aeonia...”
“Regardless, our side started that war, and the immense destruction we brought to Caelid cannot be undone.”
“I simply do not have the face to go to Redmane Castle.”
“If I were to go to Redmane Castle, it would only be to atone with my death.”
O'Neil's attitude was resolute.
“I think I understand your reasoning.”
“Your insistence on waiting for my arrival before transferring the needle was likely to save my life as well.”
“But please, do not worry about my life.”
“In fact, that I have survived until now, protecting this needle, and that it can be of some use in the end, is a pleasant surprise.”
“Now that you have arrived, I have no more lingering concerns.”
“I hope you will take good care of her.”
“Not as Lady Malenia's kin, but as Millicent.”
Seeing him like this, Bai Shi could feel his determination.
He respected O'Neil's decision.
If he wouldn't go to Redmane Castle, then so be it. He would try the Neutralizing Aromatic and Preserving Boluses.
That should be enough to keep him alive, right...?
Millicent listened to their conversation in disbelief.
“What? What needle?”
“Grandpa O'Neil, what are you talking about? Are you going to die?”
Millicent didn't want to see such a thing happen.
Although the Scarlet Rot had damaged some of her memories, vivid images remained.
A happy childhood, growing up with her sisters in Caelid.
Back then, there had been an important, father-like figure who always looked after them.
Even now, she couldn't remember his face or name.
Back then, she had an ordinary life.
But all of that was changed in a single day.
She no longer remembered what had happened to her, only that it was an incredibly painful memory, something that even haunted her nightmares.
Fortunately, she had severed her own arm and escaped from that flower bud filled with Scarlet Rot.
From then on, she lived in hiding, always on the run to avoid being found by those strange insects.
And then Grandpa O'Neil saved her, showed her kindness, and told her of her lineage.
Perhaps it was Malenia's memory acting up, or perhaps she genuinely needed an elder to rely on.
In any case, O'Neil was now like family to her.
O'Neil sat cross-legged opposite Millicent.
“The needle... it's something that can save you.”
“In the far north, at the Haligtree, Elphael, there is a special technique—the Unalloyed Gold Needle.”
“The Unalloyed Gold Needle can halt the spread of the Scarlet Rot, and I happen to have one.”
“Once the needle is inserted into your body, the rot will be suppressed, and you can begin to live as you wish.”
Millicent grew anxious.
“What... without the needle, what will happen to you?”
O'Neil didn't even have to think.
“I'll probably die.”
Ignoring the surging Scarlet Rot within her, Millicent spoke again:
“But...”
O'Neil sighed, not letting Millicent continue.
“I have lived long enough...”
O'Neil hesitated for a moment before revealing his true feelings.
“I am ashamed to say it.”
“Millicent, I was originally searching for you for Lady Malenia's sake.”
“I once held expectations for your relationship with Lady Malenia, and I hoped you would go to the Haligtree.”
“I hoped that you would be able to help Lady Malenia.”
“But now, I have changed my mind.”
“You and Lady Malenia are different individuals.”
“So now, my greater wish is that after you receive the needle, you can live according to your own will, a human will.”
“Go and do what you want to do.”
“Even if it's just to travel and see the sights, that is enough. Live for yourself.”
After speaking, O'Neil unfastened his armor and pulled a flawless, bloodless gold needle from his chest.
Before Millicent could refuse, O'Neil pressed the needle into her hand and immediately stumbled out of the cave.
Millicent gripped the needle tightly, her jaw clenched.
If this was the outcome, she would rather bear the torment of the Scarlet Rot herself.
Millicent reached out, offering the needle to Bai Shi.
“Could you please... give this back for me...”
Bai Shi urged her:
“Use the needle.”
“Don't let the old man's wishes be in vain.”
No matter how one thought about it, there was no way O'Neil would put that needle back in.
“The sooner you insert the needle, the sooner I can check on O'Neil's condition.”
“It's not as though he is completely beyond saving.”
Hearing Bai Shi's words, Millicent made up her mind.
“Sir Bai Shi, could you please leave for a moment...”
“The sight of my half-rotted body would likely only disgust you.”
Bai Shi nodded and left the cave.
From behind him came the sound of clothing being removed, followed by a pained grunt from Millicent.
Then, there was silence from the cave.
“Melina, could you check if she inserted the needle?”
“Don't worry. She has used the needle. She simply fainted.”
Hearing Melina say this, Bai Shi walked toward the cave's entrance.
Before long, Bai Shi found O'Neil collapsed on the ground.
The Scarlet Rot had already begun to spread from within his body.</
Whether it was the prolonged battles at the Haligtree or the long time he had spent in Aeonia, his body had been severely eroded.
O'Neil coughed up blood as he looked up at Bai Shi.
“Cough, cough, Sir Bai Shi...”
Bai Shi knelt before him, took out a Neutralizing Aromatic and Preserving Boluses, and immediately administered them.
“This is a Neutralizing Aromatic; it can nullify the Scarlet Rot. Preserving Boluses can suppress it.”
Although his internal organs would surely be affected, he had to use what he had for now.
After the two medicines were used, though O'Neil continued to spit blood, the concentration of Scarlet Rot in it had been greatly reduced.
O'Neil felt the Scarlet Rot surging inside him, a helpless look on his aged face.
“The condition of my body is far worse than I imagined...”
“Sir Bai Shi, sometimes, you can't have it both ways.”
Bai Shi nodded.
“I know that, of course.”
“But I want to save them both.”